Saints’ Odd Derek Carr Era May Be Nearing End For 2nd Time

If the New Orleans Saints can find a way to trade Derek Carr this offseason, that would be a dream scenario for the franchise.

Carr has said himself that he's open to returning to the National Football League in 2026 for the right opportunity. If there's a team out there with interest in bringing in Carr, they would have to give New Orleans some sort of compensation in return. At the end of the day, anything would be a win for New Orleans. Carr currently is retired. If he stays that way, great. It will not impact New Orleans' roster no matter what. So, if he does come back and play and New Orleans trades him, it would essentially get a return for a player who wasn't going to impact the team in any way in 2026. So, almost like a free draft pick or something along those lines.

That's exactly what the Saints should be hoping for right now. On Monday, NBC Sports' Matthew Berry shared a column with the 35 "most interesting" things he heard at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. At No. 1, Berry said that he heard that Carr will come back and play, for the New York Jets in 2026.

The Saints QB's future is up in the air

Dec 15, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) after a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

"No. 1. Not surprisingly, the majority of conversations at the Combine revolved around quarterbacks," Berry wrote. "And the most interesting one I heard involved Derek Carr. Yes, the retired 34-year-old Derek Carr. From what I heard, the Saints expect him to un-retire and play in 2026. The Saints are very happy with Tyler Shough, so New Orleans expects Carr to un-retire and then they will trade him. To the New York Jets.

"For what it’s worth, Vincent Bonsignore, a beat reporter for the Raiders, says he heard the Vikings for Carr. Now, I did NOT hear that at all. I did heard a BUNCH of names for the Vikings (more on that below), but Derek Carr was not one of them. What I heard was that the Saints think Carr will un-retire and they will be able to trade him to the Jets. Shrug emoji."

Now, for this to turn into reality, the Jets would have to want Carr, of course, and give up some sort of compensation in return. The idea holds weight. The Jets have a hole at quarterback, a new offensive coordinator in Frank Reich who has specialized with pocket-passers, plenty of salary cap space at their disposal and he has publicly spoken positively about the Jets in the past. For New Orleans, it doesn't really matter who the team is. But if a team is willing to take on Carr, that would be a win.